I Woke Up In Love This Morning
by HPtwilightfanatic
Summary: Lily thinks she's in for a Potter Free vacation. But when she ends up staying at the same hotel as James, will chaos ensue?
1. Chapter 1

I looked lazily out the window of the car. Petunia was chattering on and on about her beached whale of a boyfriend, Vernon Doodle or something. I wasn't even listening.

My book lay open in my lap, my attention had turned away from it when Tuna Breath's nasally voice had made it too hard to concentrate at all. My parents looked pretty aggravated by all the talk of her boyfriend too.

We passed all of the mountains, on our way up to the ski lodge we went to every summer. Don't ask me why we go skiing in the summer holiday, and not over Christmas, because I don't get it either, it's just tradition. I knew the scenery by heart, so I could tell we were almost there.

All of the sudden, Petunia's voice drained form my ears as that thought settled in.

I loved the ski lodge. It was so beautiful and calming… One of my favorite places in the world, aside from Hogwarts. But the difference was this place was Marauder Free.

More specifically, Potter Free. My hand clenched into a fist just thinking about James Potter. Annoying, sodding, bloody toerag.

I hated just the thought of him, and his friends. But I wasn't going to let that spoil my summer. I wasn't going to let Potter ruin my life, when he wasn't even here to ruin it.

He and his friends were probably off womanizing some poor girls just trying to spend a nice afternoon in the sun. Or maybe, (if Sirius picked them out that is, ) they were already in their arms, hanging onto every word that those deep, menacing voices uttered.

Personally, I was disgusted by the thought.

Girls swooning over every move they make, even if it's only that annoying hand running through his hair that Potter always did.

Honestly, he wasn't that attractive! _He_ wasn't that attractive! His ego was just the size of the world, and he didn't notice that he wasn't.

"There it is! Georgeson Ski Lodge and Resort!" Dad exclaimed, interrupting Petunia.

I snapped out of my reverie and leaned forward in my seat to look over the drivers seats shoulder.

And of course, my dad was right. There it was. The beautiful lodge, up on the side of the mountain.

Finally, my escape.

Hauling all of our bags and ski gear up to the lodge was a long and tedious job, but soon we were in the lobby, my father checking us into the usual room, that overlooked the skiers.

I looked around the lobby at everyone coming in with bags, going out with skis, people huddling close with hot chocolate, all in the middle of the summer season.

I was finally here! It would take a while to set in that I would be spending a whole two weeks here!

"Yes. Thank you. Room 234 would be fine. Thank you so much. Come on kids! Alana, get off of your brother. You're too heavy!"

"But I'm having fun Mommy!" a squeaky voice responded to the mother.

"Mum, it's fine. It's not a big deal, she's not _that _heavy." a too familiar voice said from behind me.

No. No. No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no! NO! That voice did not just reach my ears. No. It's my imagination. That wasn't real. I was thinking about him in the car…my mind just decided not to be done thinking about him Exactly. There you go Lily. Now your being rational.

I turned my head slightly, not straight on, just to make sure… Oh shit. No. _No._ This was supposed to be a Potter Free vacation! He wasn't supposed to be here! I was supposed to completely forget that he existed until September!!

Moving my gaze to my parents, to make sure that they wouldn't see, I snuck behind a huge vase with over protruding leaves coming from it.

I felt like screaming, but I really couldn't. Not without giving away my position.

"Lily?" I heard my mother call from the front desk.

No mom! Don't say that! NO!

"Lily? Where'd you go?" my dad joined in.

I could picture it. My parents looking around confusedly, my sister with her arms crossed, tapping her foot and popping her gum, _thinking_ she was cool. And Potter.

Potter freezing in whatever he was doing, and scanning the room for my red bob of hair,

Damn my hair, so easy to spot.

"Evans?"

Oh, my imagination was good. It could even conjure up his voice without warning. And that's what exactly what he would say if he saw me here.

"Evans, what are you doing crouching behind a big plant like that in a very conspicuous way?"

Damn. I was caught. By the worst person.

I turned my head slowly to him, but the words I'd been ready to spit out stuffed themselves back in my throat.

On James' shoulders, was a little girl. I mean little too. She was about the size of a six year old, but looked to be maybe eight or nine.

She had blonde hair, but the same, fathomless hazel eyes as Potter did.

"Hi! I'm Alana! James, do you know her?" the little girl squeaked.

James eyes stayed on me for a minute, then he looked up at the little girl.

"Why yes I do. She goes to my school. Her name's Lily. But you can talk later ok? We have to get up to our room." He gave me another weird look, then started walking away.

"Bye Lily! See you later!" Alana waved from James' shoulders.

That was the most civil Potter's ever acted around me.

"Lily! There you are! Good heavens! Don't just disappear like that! Come on, if you want to ski, we have to get all settled in!" Mom said, coming up to me and dragging my arm back towards our suitcases.

My whole family was smiling, excited to be here. Even Petunia had given up her usual pinched face.

But I couldn't be excited anymore. Not after that. I still couldn't believe it.

I needed someone to vent to. Bad.

A/N: I thought of this one when I was up at my Grandparents house listening to you know what!

Well actually, if you don't know, the song this fic is based off of is "I Woke Up In Love This Morning" by the Partridge Family! I'm really excited to finally be starting this though!

R&R! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

***A/N: I started this story a LONG time ago! Wow. Anyway, apparently when I started it, I gave James a sister. I know that James never had any siblings, but since she's already in the story, she will stay. She probably won't be in much of the story, but I guess she's there. Cool. Well, here we go then!

Just because the ski lodge was one of my favorite places, did not mean that I was very good at skiing. In fact, I wasn't very good at all. It was something Petunia loved to rub in my face relentlessly.

So with less enthusiasm than my mother would have liked, I strapped on my winter clothes so the mountain air wouldn't turn me into an icicle.

My lack of excitement was not only because of the skiing, however. The presence of James Potter was still hanging on my mind. I could just see him after our encounter, laughing maniacally in his room, twisting his hands together as he plotted to make this vacation the worst one in the history books. I shivered just thinking about it.

"Lily? Are you ready?" My mother rapped on the door lightly, though I could hear the impatience underlying in her voice. I was taking too long. Quickly sliding my foot into the other boot, I hopped out into the snowy landscape.

It really was surreal to see so much snow in July, but that didn't stop the smile that formed on my lips. Christmas music began to chime in my head at the sight of it.

Petunia, besides the fact that she had been gushing about her boyfriend yesterday, was already flirting with a boy in line for the ski lift. She flipped her hair, batting her eyelashes as they sat down on the bench before mine. I just about threw up.

In my opinion, riding the ski lift was better than the actual skiing part. It gives the best view of the whole resort. It looks like a painting; the sun peaking over the mountains, with the lodge tucked into the corner, and the snow covered trees surrounding it. Tiny skiers shoot down over the glistening snow. It's breathtaking.

I spread my arms out, welcoming the serenity of all of it. A jolt went up my leg, and my smile turned into a look of horror as I glanced down. My left ski was falling to the ground below. A yelp broke from my throat as the ski began its journey down the hill, opposite of where I was going.

"No! Come back!" I scrambled in a panic, the bench beginning to swing beneath me.

"What on earth are you doing?" Petunia and the flirty boy gave me the strangest looks as she shouted at me. I must be quite a sight. I can just hear the people not so far below me: "Who is that odd girl? Does she think she can ski with only one ski? That's preposterous!" And they would chortle haughtily as they got onto their benches.

My own bench begins to swing a little too dangerously for my liking, and Petunia is squawking above all of the chaos. My hand moves to grip the arm of the bench, but I miss it. Trying to overcompensate, I push my hand further to grip it again. It's as if the wind was waiting for this moment. It seems to take a hold of my wrist and tug me down, causing me to tumble to the snowy ground.

I faintly hear my sister scream as the ground rushes at me. My fright is caught somewhere between my lungs and my stomach.

At the most opportune moment, just as I am about to make contact with the ground, a skier rushes down the slope, breaking my fall. I half expected the two of us to create one of those snowballs that cartoons always portray as we rolled down the hill, our limbs getting caught in each other's equipment.

We skid to a messy stop, and I finally dare to open my eyes. My traitorous ski is lying only inches away.

I glare at it. If it had a mouth, it would be grinning maliciously at me right now.

A moan reminds me of the person I am currently tied in a knot with. "I am so sorry!" I squeak as I scramble to get off of my victim.

"It's fine, just watch yourself next time."

_Damn._ I don't even need to look, but my eyes find those brown orbs anyway, now behind his Quidditch goggles instead of his usual spectacles.

_Why did it have to be you?_ "Of all people to fall on," I sigh, not even trying to hide my exasperation.

James smirks, though it is partially hidden by his scarf. "It must be fate."

I purposely punch him in the chest as I stand up, hobbling over to my ski.

"Seriously though, are you alright? That was quite the tumble." His eyes hold a sincere concern for me that I really don't want to see there. I don't want James Potter to worry about me like that. "Let me take you to the infirmary." He moves to come closer, but I step back immediately.

"I'm fine." I say too quickly, staring at my gloved hands. I can feel his eyes one me still.

"I highly doubt that." James reaches a hand out for me again.

"I don't care whether you believe me or not!" I hold my ski to him as if it is a sword. I can tell be his expression that he is starting to think me insane. Maybe if he believes it enough, he will leave me alone. But as he said before, I highly doubt that.

He dodges my swing of the ski, and lunges for me, scooping me up in his arms.

"Put me down, Potter! I'm fine!"

But the insolent boy just kept up his pace, ignoring every strange look he got as I slapped him anywhere I could reach.


	3. Chapter 3

It turns out, I wasn't fine. My wrist was sprained, and my back was black and blue.

I chose to ignore the smug look that James sent my way.

But when the nurse finally turned on him, it was my turn to smile smugly at the unruly haired boy. The woman announced that he had to stay as well, for he had bruised ribs. My smile didn't stay for very long though, because I was the reason for that injury.

The nurse led him away. He glanced back at me, sending me a smile. Usually that boy's incessant smile annoyed me to no end, but now, it was almost…nice. Quickly, I batted that thought away. I really didn't want my mind to go in any direction near that word.

The injuries weren't that bad; sure, they stung, but it wasn't anything I couldn't ignore. I'd spent six years ignoring James Potter; I could definitely ignore the small twinge of pain. The only part I couldn't stand was the lodge was obligated to notify my parents about my little accident.

My mother was hysterical. One minute, she was berating Petunia, the next complaining to my dad, and finally fussing over me. "Are you comfortable? Are you alright? Oh, those ski lifts should be safer!"

The lodge nurse grumbled about, trying to fix my bandages as my mother trying to reach me. The poor woman had to deal with silly ski injuries daily. I was just another stupid person to fall off the ski lift. Well, I may have been the only person to fall off the ski lift.

My injuries really weren't that bad; I could have left after some simple medications. The nurse probably would have welcomed that, but my mother insisted that I stay.

"They're only bruises, Mum," but she heard none of it. She was convinced that I had a terrible concussion from my fall. I tried to tell her that my fall wasn't as bad as it could have been, thanks to Potter, but she still wasn't listening to me.

Trying to reason with my mother on my behalf, the nurse turned away from me for a moment. I glanced over their shoulders, trying to get a look at my self-proclaimed "savior". He was watching the nurse very carefully, setting the hospital gown she had given him on his mattress. He must not have felt my gaze, for he didn't even look my way. Without making a noise, he stepped around the edge of the bed, making it under Petunia's and my dad's radar, and slipped out the doorway.

I'm fairly sure that my jaw hit the mattress. He just ditched the infirmary! With bruised ribs! He was the one who had forced me in here, carrying me in against my will, and he just left! The buggering toerag!

Trying to catch the nurse's attention, I made to get out of my bed, but that caught my dad's attention.

"Hang on there," he said, holding my shoulders so I couldn't move.

"But James is-"

"No, you have to rest sweetie," my mother cooed.

As much as I attempted to tell the nurse that James was gone, I never found the chance to speak.

Finally fed up with my mother, the nurse kicked my family out after a few more minutes, and I was left alone in the infirmary. The place was actually kind of eerie when it was completely empty. I wouldn't have been alone if a certain black haired boy hadn't decided to slip past everybody.

Cursing him, wherever he had disappeared off to, I punched my pillow before lying down, the medications already making me drowsy. It was only the second day of my vacation, and Potter had already managed to destroy it. Now I had to spend a night in the blasted infirmary.

o~o

I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep until I woke up.

The sun was setting behind the mountain in the window frame, and the room had gotten infinitely colder. The paper sheets I pulled closer around me didn't do much to add heat; if anything, they made me more of an icicle.

There was no light coming from underneath the office door, leading me to guess the nurse was absent from the scene. Gathering up the thin blanket from the top of the bed and wrapping it over my shoulders, I shuffled my way over to the bathroom. The nasty taste of the medications was still hovering in my mouth; I was hoping there would be an extra toothbrush lying around somewhere.

As my fingers reached for the doorknob, a clatter rang out from behind the bathroom door, followed by a low curse. I felt shock build up in my throat and immediately pulled my hand back under the blanket. Scuffling noises came closer to the door, along with a groan. Light shown from underneath the door and it opened right in my face.

My hand came up from my side to block out the light as my eyes squinted. Blinking rapidly, I caught small glimpses of glasses, wide brown eyes, and large hands clutching the wood frame of the door.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered, my voice not as awake as the rest of me was yet.

James' eyes shifted quickly around the room, looking anywhere but me. The hand that wasn't clutching the wood of the door frame snuck behind his back.

"What's that?" I demanded, reaching behind him. He tried to push me off, but wincing, he breathed in sharply through his teeth, his hand moving to hold his stomach.

A pill bottle rattled to the floor as his other arm supported him from falling. They were the same kind of medications that the nurse had given me earlier.

"Painkillers? You snuck in here to get painkillers?" James moved over to the sink, turning his back to me. "Why did you leave in the first place if you were in pain?"

"I _wasn't_ in pain before," he hissed, leaning on the wall. His face was even paler than it had been this afternoon. An unwanted worry began to fill my gut.

"Potter, you don't look good at all. Let me go get the nurse-"

"No!" His outburst reverberated through the whole infirmary and I whirled back to him, my eyes warning him to stay quiet. Turning his face to the side, he avoided my gaze again. "I can take care of myself just fine. I do it all the time. I don't need a nurse."

"Sure you can, that's why you're sneaking in here to steal some painkillers." I replied, sarcasm practically dripping from my lips. Setting the medications on the sink, I moved to him. "Is it your ribs?"

Reluctantly, James nodded his head, those brown eyes still looking above my head.

Sighing, I grabbed a cup from the cupboard and made to fill it up with water when the door outside squeaked open.

I looked towards the closed bathroom door, where padded footsteps could be heard; the nurse was back.

James' held fast to my wrist. "She can't know I'm here." His voice was deep, wavering with urgency.

I was being pulled in a million different directions. It felt as if I was stretched too thin. On one hand, James was in pain. The nurse could help him. Sure it was his fault he'd snuck out, but it was still_ my_ fault he was injured in the first place.

Those eyes were glued to mine, not letting my gaze stray from his. He really didn't want that nurse in here. I couldn't fathom why, but he was determined to keep his presence unknown to the nurse.

"Come on then," I whispered, pulling him towards the shower. The pill bottle fell to the floor again as I pulled the curtain in front of both of us.

"Miss Evans? How are you feeling?" The nurse asked with a light tap on the door, seemingly in a better mood than she had been earlier.

James and I struggled to fit in the tiny shower together, and I kept shushing him so the nurse wouldn't be suspicious.

"Um, I'm fine! I was just going to take a shower." I tried to finish normally, but my voice was far too high.

"Oh! Well there's no soap or shampoo in there! Wait just a moment and I'll go fetch you some!" We waited in silence as her footsteps fell away again.

"That was good." James whispered, looking relieved.

"Good? She's coming back you know!" I squeaked incredulously. My mind had gone into full panic mode. "You need to get out of here while you can!"

"Get out of here?" He sounded as disbelieving as me. "She'll see me if I leave! She just went over to her office!"

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. Even leaning back as far as I could go, James and I were still far too close for my liking.

"I'm not going to keep hiding you."

James whirled towards me, closing even more space between us. "Please, Lily. Don't tell her I'm here." He pleaded, his hands actually coming up to hold my shoulders.

The door creaked open, and I slapped a hand over his mouth, moving right up next to him, as if that would make us quieter.

"Here you go, Miss Evans. Make sure you get back to bed to rest right after this though."

"Thank you," I said, staring right at James. It felt like my shoulders were burning where his hands rested.

The tension in my gut was loosening just as I could hear the nurse leaving, when she suddenly stopped. "Oh, I forgot. That faucet can be a little stubborn sometimes. Let me help you."

I was about to object, as I tried to pull away from James, when a hand came around the curtain, and pulled roughly on the handle, causing water to spray down on the both of us.

What happened next was a bit of a blur; either one of us or both of us slipped, the water coming as a shock to our skin, but I hit the wall hard.

The outline of James' body pressed right up against mine as the water pounded down on us. The silly, thin hospital gown made it feel like nothing covered my skin as it got soaked. Those damned eyes saw right into me. I tried to tell myself I was trembling because I had been so cold before, but I wasn't sure if that was entirely true. The tile was cold against my back, but the heat coming from James was much stronger. How had we ended up in this position?

"I left some medicine on the counter here for you Miss Evans. Take it before you fall asleep. Good night." The nurse added.

"G-good night," I bid her as she left. I could have sworn that James' eyes got a tinge darker.

Not daring to move and trying not to breathe with James right there, I stayed silent. He didn't make a move either, making me quite suspicious. Usually, he would have taken advantage of a situation like this.

After a few moments, when I was sure the nurse wasn't going to reappear out of nowhere, I let out a small sigh. "I think she's gone." I whispered. Those words must have shocked James, out of whatever spell he'd been under, because he was immediately gone from our position, pulling aside the curtain and stepping out, still dripping wet.

I didn't even bother finishing the shower. It actually might have been impossible to, I was shaking so badly. The only noise in the small bathroom was the small drops hitting the floor from our soaked clothes.

He wouldn't look at me again. The whole day, I either hadn't been able to look away from those brown eyes, or I hadn't been able to catch their gaze at all. The boy was bothering me so much, with his flip-flopping attitude of the day that my insides were twisting every which way.

"Where did you go after you ditched the infirmary?" I asked, not able to bear the silence any longer.

I could hear his breathing as he shook his hair out. "Around," it was a soft mumble, barely loud for me to hear.

Tiptoeing past the office, I made it to my bed, pulling the rough covers back. I could feel James close behind me as I climbed between the sheets, fluffing my pillow.

"You should really be going," I said in a hushed tone, a little awkwardly. His eyes met mine, still the dark color they'd been in the shower.

"I guess I should," he offered, glancing casually at the clock on the side table. "And you should get some rest." He patted my mattress before moving away.

"You too." I added, gesturing at his ribs. The ribs that were injured because of me. The air around us had become heavy and strange. What was happening here?

As he stepped away from me, sneaking out of the infirmary, exasperation filled me. I couldn't just let him leave like that.

"Thank you," my voice came out a tad too loud. James turned, meeting my gaze over his shoulder.

"For what?"

"For…breaking my fall." Keeping my eyes down on the sheets clutched between my fingers, I waited for him to say something.

I thought he'd slipped through the doorway after a moment of silence, but his voice broke through to my ears.

"You're welcome," he whispered back. A sigh fell from my chest. "Though, I thought you were going to thank me for the shower."

My head jolted back up to find an empty infirmary and a closing door. My jaw almost hit the mattress for a second time today.


	4. Chapter 4

After I was released from the infirmary, my mother forbade me to ski for the remainder of the trip. She reported this to me as if it was a horrible tragedy. Frankly, I wasn't too upset about that fact.

The thing I was upset about, however, was she confined me to bed, convinced I was in death's grasp. With strict orders not to move from the hotel bed, my mother slipped out the door after Petunia and my dad, her skis in hand.

I thought finally being alone would be a gift, but it only took me a few minutes to get bored. I couldn't even pay attention to my book; it lay on my stomach, trying to catch my attention. To make it even worse, I kept losing count of the tiny bumps on the ceiling.

Unwillingly, my thoughts wandered to the events in the infirmary the night before. To how badly James had wanted his presence kept a secret. To the moment when the water was spraying down on our heads. To his comment as he had made his escape.

Why did I always have to get in situations like this? Why did they always involve James Potter?

This vacation would have been completely normal if he wasn't here. Whether I liked it or not, I would be out skiing with my parents, having a grand old time.

I was well aware that I couldn't blame my fall from the ski lift on Potter, but it made my anger bubble up nonetheless. He just had to intrude on my time _away_ from him.

A knock rapped on the door, causing my thoughts from the day before to flee from my mind. Glancing at the clock, I noticed it wasn't even noon yet. My family couldn't be returning so early.

"Who is it?" I called warily, my eyes glued to the door, as if it was about to be kicked open.

"Room service," the low voice, muffled by the thick door replied.

_Room service? _My mother might have sent something up to me, though it was still a little early for lunch.

Practically leaping from the bed, I stumbled to the door, flinging it open.

The person standing in front of me was definitely not from room service.

"How did you find my room?" my voice sounded considerably calmer than I felt. Panic exploded through my veins. Just at the sight of him, my thoughts flashed to that moment against the shower wall, with the water raining down on the two of us.

"Er, I asked the front desk?" James' hands were thrust in his pockets, and he actually looked…nervous.

It was almost like a miracle. Cocky, arrogant, self-confident James Potter was nervous? I could practically feel the ground beneath my feet begin to heat up, getting ready for the apocalyptic explosion that would end all of humanity.

His eyes looked anywhere but me, and he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm not sure whether I should be freaked out by that or not," I muttered, more to myself than anything.

His right hand left his pocket, sifting through his hair instead.

"I just heard you were released from the infirmary. I came to see how you were doing."

"You seem to know quite a bit about my whereabouts today."

James lifted his eyes to mine. "Is that wrong? You did take quite the fall yesterday. Is it bad that I was worried?" His voice tapered off by the end, but I heard it all the same. He sounded much more confident than he had before.

Silence extended between us. An actual server from room service passed us, sending a strange look our way. I rolled on my heels back and forth, gripping the doorway.

"I'm fine." I finally whispered. What else was I supposed to say to that?

I hated when situations like this happened. I couldn't stay angry at James when he did considerate things like this.

Once in our third year, I'd accidentally overslept, and missed half of my first class. I had been almost close to tears as I'd bustled about, grabbing anything I could before I fled for my class; it would be the first time I was late in my entire school career, including my time in primary school. My socks didn't match, and my hair was frizzing at the ends. I looked and felt like a wreck. My mind immediately jumped to the worst of conclusions: I was going to be expelled, or get detention. Professor McGonagall was going to hate me forever.

While sprinting to class, my mind wired like it had been hooked up to a light bulb, I'd almost literally run into James Potter and his friends while rounding a corner. His hands, still larger than mine even at that age, had caught my shoulders, steadying me.

I hadn't wanted him to see me in my frazzled state, but only concern filled his eyes.

I'd immediately started shouting at him to let me go because I was late. It had been instinct. When James Potter was in the vicinity, my voice automatically leapt to the highest level. James had silently listened to my ranting, all the while pushing my hair behind my ears. His hands had this calming affect on me, making my voice die out as he held my eyes with his deep ones.

"Leave it to me." his smirk had always annoyed me, but a fluttering was filling my stomach when this one formed on his mouth.

His smirk was ever present as he led me to our classroom. In his confident manner, he threw the door wide open.

"Morning McGoogies!" he shouted, causing every head to turn our way. I wanted to hide my face, but James still had a hand on my shoulder, making it impossible for me to turn around. Why was he bringing attention to us?

"Mr. Potter, do you know how many times you have been late to this class and…Miss Evans?" The professor's eyes widened at the sight of me next to the troublemaking boy. "What in the world is going on here?"

"About that professor," James interjected before anything could come out of my throat, "I made Lily come along with us."

"For what, Mr. Potter?"

"For something that we cannot reveal at this time." Black added offhandedly, dusting lint off of his robe.

McGonagall's eyes became slits, looking exactly like her feline form. "Is this true, Miss Evans?"

Again, before I could answer, James spoke for me. "That's not important right now. What is important is this isn't Lily's fault. It's mine." He emphasized his last few words, his eyes keeping their lighthearted glint.

The other students whispered, glancing over their shoulders at the five of us in the doorway, especially focusing on James and me.

The professor's face was hard as she considered those last words.

"You'd be taking on two detentions then." She said in a reminding tone to James.

Shock filled me. I could feel my eyes widen and my throat clench. I was ready to tell Professor McGonagall the whole story of the morning. I would be responsible for my own fault. But again, James beat me to it.

"I'm aware of that." He affirmed, his voice not even faltering. If anything, he sounded content about it.

Surprisingly, McGonagall accepted that as a valid answer. She gestured to our seats, giving us the silent treatment for the rest of the class.

I tried to stay angry at James for being a toerag all the time. Even after that class was over, and he'd asked me to Hogsmeade. But how could I be angry at a boy that had just taken another detention on his record in my place.

"You in there, Lily?" James had bent down to my level, making our faces uncomfortably close.

Shaking my head slightly to clear it, I stepped back a bit. My knuckles were white from gripping the doorway so hard. I tried to order my hand to release the wood, but it refused.

His smirk appeared on his lips as he stood up straight again. "I thought I was going to have to start worrying again for a tick there."

I was about to roll my eyes and reply with something snarky, but my stomach interrupted me. With a loud grumble, my belly reminded me that I hadn't had something to eat since yesterday. Heat filled my cheeks as I sent a frown down at the annoying organ.

Then, as if answering my grumble, an odd noise came from James' stomach. He looked about as shocked as I did.

"You too, huh?" I didn't actually feel the words leave my lips, but apparently I'd said them, because James glanced at me with a laugh in his eyes. A traitorous smile spread across my lips, matching his.

"You want to get something to eat?" He implored, leaning against the door frame that I was still gripping onto for dear life.

_Not with you,_ I wanted to say. But my stomach growled a complaint at me again.

I quickly glanced over my shoulder. My book lay flat on my unmade bed, and the sun was streaming through the window, mocking me. My mother had told me specifically to stay in the room. But I felt fine.

Except for a strange buzzing feeling in my gut, but that was most likely just because I was hungry.

I could call the _real_ room service for some food, but that might take too long. I'd probably eat my pillow by that time.

"Fine," I hesitantly gave in, trying to avoid the glittering mischief deep in his eyes. "But no funny business. Alright?"

James held up his hands innocently. "What funny business? We're just going to drop by the kitchens and be out of there as quick as possible. I promise." He drew an "x" over his heart with a finger, and swiftly moved aside, making a "lady's first" gesture.

How did I always let myself get dragged into these things?


	5. Chapter 5

Right about now, I wanted to kill James Potter. Usually I would just have an indescribable urge to punch him in the face, but it had developed to homicide in the span of about ten minutes.

I was squished uncomfortably against the wall, his back pressing into me as he peaked in through the kitchen doorway. Waves of exasperation were rolling off of me, and I hoped that they were reaching him somehow.

"You just happened to forget the fact that we weren't _allowed_ in the kitchen? That it was against the rules?" I whispered harshly to the back of his head. James shot me a look over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised, as if asking me _"Rules? What are those?"_

I probably should be blaming myself. It should have gotten through my thick head that we were still at a resort for Merlin's sake! This wasn't Hogwarts, where house elves would welcome you into the kitchen. I should have remembered the kitchen would be filled with the bustling servers and cooks who worked there. James and I were not exactly dressed the part to act as hotel workers. We'd be thrown out before James could spout whatever clever excuse he would come up with.

"No, I didn't happen to forget," James muttered back to me as his dark eyes kept following the hotel workers. "And we're still going to do as I promised. We're going to get in there, get food, and hitch it out of there."

Suddenly, I wasn't very hungry anymore. It actually felt more like I was going to throw up just thinking about sneaking into the kitchens without being caught.

"I think I'm fine now." I practically choked out, trying to slip away from him. His hand came up to the wall as he whirled around to block my way.

"Are you chickening out, Lily?" A strange feeling came over me as he gave me that mischievous glance. It was like I was one of the Marauders at school, and we were about to venture right under Filch's nose to plant some fireworks in his office. We were probably about to break twenty of the hotel's regulations, and he was grinning like an idiot. He was actually having fun.

I just had to get myself wrapped up in this, didn't I?

"No, I'm not chickening out." My voice sure sounded like it was though. I coughed, clearing my throat. "I just don't feel like getting thrown out of the resort before my vacation is over."

"We won't get thrown out. I promise." He was unnecessarily close again, just like the night before in the shower.

"You're making an awful lot of promises lately," I commented, more to myself than him. James smirked at me anyway.

Then without another word, before I could mentally prepare myself for this endeavor, he was pulling me into the kitchen. The place was huge, and smelled wonderful and awful at the same time. The smell of eggs Benedict came from one direction while rotten potatoes came from the other. It confused my nose so much; I think that it just shut off. For a moment, there were no workers in sight. It was just James, me, and humongous ovens. Were we really going to be that lucky?

But I had thought too soon. Just as a trickle of relief had began to flow through me, about five of them burst through the doors we had just come from. James forced us quickly behind a stove as the servers scuttle past us.

It was like he had a sixth sense or something. When people would come around the corner or begin to turn our way, we were somehow behind various cabinets or counters.

My eyes followed every worker that passed us, hoping that they would stay oblivious to the two seventeen year olds behind the cabinets.

Once the passage was clear again, James was pulling us away again. He seemed to be aiming for the large pantry in the back, but a counter stood in our way.

A very robust cook stood behind the counter. ; A cook who just so happened to be holding a very large, dangerous looking knife in his hand.

I felt James' other hand graze the small of my back as he pushed us both into a crouching position. We passed in front of the cook as he chopped, moving as slow and soundless as we could.

I squeezed James hand tightly, my throat closing. I could just imagine the cook discovering us, holding blades against our throats, muttering darkly with a sadistic smile. It may have been a little dramatic, but my mind was running a million miles an hour at the moment.

The large cook glanced up once, his full moustache twitching, but before he could look down on us, James had dragged me away from the counter, right under that chef's moustache, and into the pantry.

Immediately, I felt cramped in the dark room. James' hand slipped out of mine, and I regretted that my hand wanted to quickly grab his back. That thought was gone in a snap though as he brushed up against me.

"Sorry, I can't find the light switch." His breath fanned my face. I was glad it was dark, because then I could actually convince myself that my eyes hadn't unfocused for a minute.

Something tumbled to the floor beside us, and James mumbled an oath that I could barely make out.

The _click_ was barely audible, but then a dim light revealed the small room. Never ending shelves of food surrounded us: crackers, apples, pears, kiwis, chocolate, beans, carrots, every kind of bread with names I could barely remember.

My stomach grumbled again, yearning to be full. I wanted to just plop down on the floor right here and stuff myself, but the clanging of pots and sharpening of knives could still be heard through the door. I really didn't want to be around if that huge cook stepped in to grab some carrots.

"Do you have any preferences?" James asked, tossing a cup of pudding my way. I fumbled to catch it, squeaking a little bit. He chuckled at me as he turned back to the shelves, slipping more food into his pockets.

"Why couldn't have we just asked somebody for food? Or gone to the dining room?"

He was turned away from me, but I knew he was smirking.

"They don't serve any meals right now. And trust me; you don't want to ask the cooks to make something for you." Why did he speak as if he was talking from experience? I wasn't sure I wanted to hear that story, if there even was one.

"What about room service?" I asked, scanning the shelves. As uneasy as I felt about smuggling food, my stomach was screeching at me.

"They never get the orders right. And they take forever." James stated matter-of-factly, taking a bite of an apple.

"Time just seems to go by slower when you're hungry. You don't have to break all of the rules just to get something to eat." I mimicked his voice as I took an apple for myself.

He looked down at me with an odd look. "You didn't _have_ to come with me."

I met his gaze with a start. Of course I hadn't had to go with him. I knew that. Did he think me an idiot?

Yet here I was, standing here in a giant pantry, not three inches from the boy.

I was brought back to the previous night again with how he was looking at me in this moment. How his eyes seemed to darken, and his brow creased as if something intrigued him. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

We hadn't even heard the door creak open.

"Well Fred, I don't think it's mice that are your problem." A gravelly voice came from the now open door. A bulky shadow blocked the already dim light from the dying light bulb, looming over James and I. Behind the shadow, the cook from before looked absolutely furious, I'm actually surprised there wasn't steam erupting from his ears.

I felt that sick feeling again, until James' hand slid into mine. That feeling shouldn't be as familiar as it was to me.

The bulky man stepped more into the small amount of light, giving us a good look at him. He looked as if he was a veteran of every goblin war in every history book at Hogwarts. He was even more gruesome than Filch, and that is truly saying something.

"So the kitchens are a free for all now? When did this happen?" His accent was strange, maybe a mix of something? Scottish and German? I couldn't tell. My brain was a little more preoccupied with trying to figure out how we could escape from this hulk of a man.

"Well, nutrition is necessary to humans." James answered the gorilla like man so calmly, toasting him with the apple he held in his hand.

The man's brow made an even deeper crease in his forehead as he stared at the fruit.

"That doesn't mean you can intrude."

"Are we really intruding? We _are_ guests here sir." I couldn't see very well in the lack of light, but I could have sworn that the man's face was redder than my hair.

"That doesn't give you the right to be here." The man reached for his pocket, his face getting a dangerous shadow over it.

Just as he lunged for us, James diverted us to the side. His shoulder skimmed one of the shelves, causing multiple cans of peas, beans, and corn to tumble to the floor, falling onto the large man.

The cook was still shakily gripping his large knife, but I barely got a glance at him before James whisked us away. He did not even bother dodging any of the servers this time. We barreled past them, the racket of clattering platters and loud complaints following us.

We were a few hallways away from the kitchens when we stopped, trying to catch our breath.

"I blame you for that!" I shouted, still heaving for air. "We almost got ourselves killed in a kitchen because of you!"

My mind kept reminding me of what he said in the pantry. _"You didn't _have_ to come with me." _I thought he would throw that back in my face now. But when he finally peaked up at me, his glasses were lying crooked on his nose from shaking; shaking from laughter. He was laughing. He couldn't even make a witty reply because he was laughing so hard.

I attempted to stay serious, to stay angry at him. But again, it was impossible. With him now sliding to the ground as his laughter overtook him, I couldn't help but join in. We ended up leaning on each other for support. We probably looked ridiculous with our pockets overflowing with food and tears streaming from our eyes.

"Lily?" My eyes shot open. Down the hall, my sister was staring right at James and me. "Is that you?"

"Oh shit." I muttered, frozen to the spot.

"There you are!"

Down the opposite side of the hallway, the Filch of the resort was storming towards us, his ruddy face looking like he had just won the lottery.

"That's our cue." James whispered to me. Gripping my hand again, he led us down towards my sister.

"James, no! I can't be seen by-" But he swerved before we met up with Petunia. He pushed open a door to a narrow stairway that was barely even visible. How he knew it was there, I had no idea.

"Ladies first." He whispered, repeating the same motion he had this earlier this morning. That last time I followed that gesture, things didn't go well, as our present situation would show.

"I ought to-"

"Yes of course you ought to, Lily. But we don't really have time for whatever you ought to do." And with a warm, large hand pressed to the small of my back he pushed me up the creaky staircase and slammed the door behind us.


	6. Chapter 6

It was all open air and a cloudless blue sky when James and I tumbled out from the claustrophobic staircase. The cool air was welcome as it hugged both James and I in turn.

My eyes flickered everywhere, to the multiple skiers below us and the mountain peak above us. It took a moment for my brain to register how small the skiers looked. We were even higher than the ski lift that I'd had quite the experience with yesterday.

"The roof, James? This is possibly the worst place we could have gone! Now we have nowhere else to go!" I whirled on the boy, who was nonchalantly leaning against the door we had just burst from and taking in the view of the mighty mountain.

"We may not, but neither does creepy back there." His thumb pointed at the door.

I felt my eyebrows curve up in a skeptical glance.

"It's locked." He said simply.

"He's hotel staff. And if he is as much like Filch as I think he is, I'm pretty sure he has keys."

His lips struggled to stay in a straight line, but the smirk was too powerful. Without saying a word, James' fingers revealed a small, silver key that he had been pressing into his palm.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"You pick-pocketed him? When did you manage that?" I shouted, grabbing the key as if I could tell its authenticity.

"When we brushed past him in the pantry." He winked at me as he began emptying his pockets of food.

My eyes would not leave the small key. How had I not even noticed him take this?

"But…" I tried to form words, any words at all, but my tongue had frozen.

"We got a lot of practice at school. This guy was pathetic compared to old Filchy."

There was a sudden brush against my thigh, and I jumped, spinning to face James.

He held his hands up like a criminal. "Just grabbing food. You going to take that pudding out, or do I have to?" He asked, making himself comfortable on the cement of the roof.

Through the whole panic in the kitchen, and then just a minute ago in the hallway, I had completely forgotten about how hungry I was. My stomach gave off relieved grumbles that I was finally recognizing its existence again.

Hesitantly, I sat down in front of James, slowly pulling out my loot as well. Half of the stuff I didn't even remember grabbing: chips, jam, beans.

None of our food made a decent meal. Even if it could have made some sort of a casserole, it wouldn't have been very good. But we ate it anyway. I hadn't really noticed that I was never offered food in the infirmary, so I was starved.

"When did you first come up here?" James' voice broke our silent meal, and I glanced up at him from the bread.

"Up on the roof? A few minutes ago." I'm pretty sure I was wearing his smirk on my lips.

His glasses slid a little bit down his nose again. "Haha. Funny, Lily. I mean here. At the lodge."

I found myself looking up at the mountain that kept watch over everything at the lodge. I swear, it got taller every time I laid eyes on it.

"I couldn't really tell you. My dad used to come here with his parents. He loves it here, so he has always brought us, you know? I have memories from this place from when I was little." I could feel James' gaze on me. That buzzing feeling came back to my gut, so I took a bite of the bread to soothe it.

"What about you?" I asked him suddenly, uncomfortable with attention on me. His gaze always did that to me.

"Since I was nine." He replied, his eyes finally following mine towards the peak.

The breeze flew around us, making my hair lightly wrap over my nose and obstruct my vision.

I'd given up wondering how I'd gotten into this, how we had ended up like this. It was peaceful up here, beautiful. And as much as I didn't want to admit it to myself, I felt that I wouldn't have wanted to be up here with any other person.

Not because I liked him or anything.

Petunia would have ruined it by making some stupid comment.

My mother would have snapped a picture, because she never really looked at anything.

My dad would start to tell me a story about some friend of his that was completely unrelated to the view.

But James was as content with the silence as I was.

By the time we finished, there were no leftovers, and the sun was already making its way to the western line of mountains on the opposite side of the ski lodge.

I didn't want to be the one to speak first, but the question was plaguing my head.

"Why didn't you want the nurse to know you were there last night?"

At first I wasn't even sure he heard me; he didn't move or make any gesture that he was going to reply.

I was pretty sure the sun had moved another few inches by the time he spoke.

"I've…ever since Hogwarts, I've never really been a fan of hospitals." He sounded nervous again, just like when he'd knocked on my door this morning.

Tilting my head towards him, I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I know how to heal myself. I learned…at Hogwarts. Doctors, nurses, even Madame Pomfrey just make me nervous. I can't bring myself to trust them." The sun was reflecting from his glasses, making a kaleidoscope effect on his eyes.

There was something he wasn't saying, but I didn't call him out on it. I hadn't even expected the answer he gave me, so I didn't press.

"We should probably go." He said, effectively ending our previous conversation, and brought himself into a standing position before stretching his back, his fingertips reaching for the sky above us.

I couldn't stop staring at him in this light. He looked so calm, like we had not been tumbling down a ski hill yesterday, or chased by a crazy-Filch man today.

James tore his eyes from the sky and smiled down at me, offering a hand to help me stand. I debated whether I should pretend I didn't see it and just stand by myself, but my hand was already folded in his.

He went first this time, peaking out of the hidden door we'd made our earlier escape from. He waved me forward, opening the door a little wider.

This staircase was ancient though. I hadn't noticed it when we'd been running for our lives, but you could hear every step you made. On the last step, there was a deep creak in the wood, and with a jolt, it gave way.

My stomach leapt to my throat as I fell forward. I tried to push James away from me, but my fingers clung to his shirt in a panic instead, and he came down with me.

The hallway wasn't dark, but my eyes had grown accustomed to the light outside. Black, fuzzy clouds filled my vision, and I blinked rapidly to try and get my sight back.

James groaned beneath me, shifting. His hand brushed the same spot by my pocket again, and a gasp came from me.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

My sight was just starting to return and I could barely make out James' face below mine when the hallway was suddenly flooded with light.

"I knew you two would have to come down sooner or later. It was just a matter of time." The gravelly voice sounded very satisfied. Neither James nor I had to look to know it was the creep from before.

I don't know how I managed it, but I pulled James up with me, and in a rush we were flying down the hallway again. The man shouted some things that should not be repeated as he lumbered after us. Even as his voice began to dim as we pulled ahead, our feet didn't stop sprinting until we were back in front of my door. Back where the day had begun.

With a short tug, I awkwardly pulled my hand out of James' grasp. He flexed his fingers a bit before balling his hand into a fist. After a moment, he just shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Well," I breathed, looking anywhere but him.

"See you tomorrow." He asserted, nodding at me before he brushed past me.

"Sure." I whispered to an empty hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

Our hotel room was a world of chaos. I immediately regretted opening the door.

"Lily! Where were you? This isn't like you, Lily! What were you thinking?"

I tried ignoring my mother's shouting, but she quickly switched from worried nagging to angry scolding when I wasn't answering her.

"I gave you specific instructions to stay in bed! And what did you do? You left! How could you do this?"

She was overreacting, and she knew it. She always started fiddling with her hair, like I did, when her emotions were so high on the scale.

Keeping my eyes averted, I tucked myself back into bed, shoving a pillow over my ear to drown out the noise.

I didn't even remember falling asleep, but when my eyes next fluttered open, our room was flooded with light, and I was again, alone.

My legs were shaky as I walked towards the bathroom, and I caught sight of a scrap of paper on the other bed.

_Lily,_

_We are skiing this morning. The hotel is having a large dining reception this evening with all of the guests tonight. You can join us then if you'd like. Wear something nice._

_I'm sorry about last night sweetheart. I hope you feel better._

_Love,_

_Mom_

A tiny smile reached my lips. The lodge often had a big reception for everyone, like we all knew each other and enjoyed spending time together. Usually, I would hang around Petunia, and _that_ always ended up being a _great_ time.

A small bell rang at the back of my head, reminding me of a certain messy haired boy who was staying in the same hotel. The same boy I had wanted to get away from. My mind went to all of the craziness we had gotten knotted into in just the past few days. He would probably be at the reception tonight.

If we simply made eye contact, the whole lodge would probably burst into flames.

It would be a disaster.

The day I didn't have to be stocked up in the hotel room turned out being the day I did. I moped around, occasionally reading and sleeping. I thought I heard a distant knocking noise during one of my naps, but I dismissed it.

It was supposed to be my vacation, and here I was. This was absolutely ridiculous. But every time I made the resolve to leave the room, my mind would come up with some miraculous event that ended up with me bumping into James Potter and the world coming to an end. It's not like he didn't know where my room was. If he really wanted to, he could come and pull me along on another near death experience. I wasn't about to put myself out there though, waiting for him to reel me into another one of his crazy adventures.

"Lily! You're not even dressed! The reception is about to start!" My mother's voice caused me to jump half way off of the mattress. I hadn't even noticed her come in. She was wearing a sun dress that I didn't even know she owned.

I'd thought up a whole excuse. The words were right on my tongue. _I'm not feeling well again Mum. I'll just stay here. You all can go to the dinner without me._ But my mother did not even allow me to try and speak.

"Come on sweetie, Petunia and your father are waiting."

My mother just kept chattering on as I got ready, slipping on a dress that my mother had obviously packed for me, since I did not remember putting it in my suitcase.

"-and did you hear that some people stole food from the kitchens yesterday? That's just outrageous. Why they couldn't have called for room service I have no idea-"

I nearly choked on air, which my mother thankfully did not notice as she ushered us out of the room and down the hallway.

When we were thrust into the crowd, my eyes immediately began searching every face, panic rising in my gut every time a pair of glasses sparkled in the light from the chandeliers.

"This is absolutely lovely, isn't it Lily?" My mother gushed. She was trying to make up for her shouting the night before with all of the nice comments she kept making.

I couldn't bring myself to answer; I was too engaged in my search. Maybe he had decided not to come? Maybe the Potter family had left the lodge?

Just as my spirits started to lift at that thought, he came into my line of vision. A squeak escaped my throat as I dove for the nearest plant.

"Lily?" My mother asked to the empty spot next to her.

Well, this was a rush of déjà vu. Some strange glances were sent my way as I peaked between the branches.

But it was all for nothing. James hadn't even seen me. He moved along with his family, sitting all the way across the room from where my family stood now.

Petunia rolled her eyes at me as I crept back out from behind the plant. I'm fairly sure my parents were whispering about me under their breaths, but I ignored it.

The dinner was spectacular, of course, though I wasn't really focusing on the taste. I stared at my plate whenever the servers came by with another course, just in case they recognized me. I almost transformed into a liquid puddle under the table when the huge, mustached cook waddled by our table.

The staff opened the bar a little while after dinner, and everyone began milling around making pathetic small talk. Petunia caught up with the ski-lift boy she had been flirting with, leaving me to myself. Even in a large crowd, I felt as if there was a humongous neon sign above me, calling out to Potter.

I slid through the throngs of people, making for the direction of my trusty plant. Snatching a glass of pink punch, I settled behind the protruding leaves again, enjoying the drink.

"You really need to learn to hide better."

I'd like to say I was upset. I'd been avoiding him successfully up to this point, but I wasn't even mad that he had discovered me. I was actually the opposite. Even if we burned down the whole place, at least I could have something to do rather than watch my sister flirt disgustingly with some guy.

"Maybe you really shouldn't be looking for me." I replied, absentmindedly scooting over so he could join me on the floor.

"But it's just so much fun." He laughed, as I rolled my eyes at him. We watched people pass by and gossip with each other for what seemed like hours. People watching was usually an enjoyable sport, but with James right next to me, I couldn't focus on the crowd. There was a dose of expectation in the air.

"Let's get out of here."

It took me a moment to really hear what he had said. I turned my gaze to him, meeting his eyes evenly. It was amazing my glass wasn't shaking, because every nerve in my body had just flared up.

"But what could possibly be more enjoyable than this party?" I asked, sarcasm filling every syllable. I went to take another sip from my punch.

"Why don't you come with me to find out?" A shock rattled through my body, almost causing me to spill my glass all over myself as his voice reverberated deep in my ear.

His hazel eyes stared unblinking into mine, the ever present glimmer in their depths. I had barely nodded my assent before he was pulling me off of the floor and through hallway after hallway.

The sounds of the reception could still be heard in some adjoining corridors, but I hardly noticed the sound over the blood pumping in my ears. We rounded one last corner and I bumped into his back as he stopped suddenly.

I stole a glance over his shoulder, where a tall glass doorway stood proudly only a few meters ahead of us. He made no move to explain when I sent him a questioning look; he only pulled us forward and slid us through the door.

The moon shined down on us, the stars peaking out around it, but there was no light besides. Strange shadows surrounded us; some like claws, others like giants.

"Wha-?" I slowly spun on the spot. James simply grinned as he took his wand from his pocket. He muttered something at a small box attached to the floor and purple sparks emitted from the tip of his wand.

All around us, tiny, twinkling lights illuminated the room, lighting up the leaves they were hidden in.

It was a garden. In a small greenhouse attached to the side of the lodge. It was almost comical seeing the mountains and snow outside the glass, with tulips and begonias in full bloom inside.

James' fingers hooked with mine again as he pulled us deeper into the maze of plants.

"How did you find this place?" I whispered. My voice echoed strangely in the glass house.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I came across it."

"It's beautiful." The fingers he was holding were beginning to feel fuzzy.

James might have nodded, but he only kept pulling me through the gardens. The lights looked more like fairies as we drew closer to the plants, and I was overpowered with the delightful scents and colors of the petals.

I felt a tug on my arm, and turned to find that James had stopped short next to a huge overflow of white flowers.

White lilies to be exact. My steps seemed too loud as I moved toward him. With every inch closer, I felt like the two of us were spiraling down a hole, to something we couldn't handle. His eyes were focused solely on the flowers, but I couldn't bring myself to look at them.

His eyes held a confident look. There was obviously something on his mind, but his lips made no move to speak. Small sprouts of ebony hair fell over his forehead, just brushing the rims of his glasses. My fingers itched to weave through the strands and push them away from his forehead.

Heat bloomed in my chest and all at once I felt that I should be running as far away as I could from this spot, and moving impossibly close to the boy in front of me.

"James," I wasn't entirely sure why I said it, or if anything else was supposed to follow that word. Everything flew from my mind the moment his eyes flickered from the lilies to my eyes. I could have stretched out my fingers and felt the skin of his cheek. He could have moved his head only a small distance and our foreheads would have lightly knocked together. The air was thick around us, between us. It felt like we were sharing breath. He mumbled something that I didn't quite catch.

"You two troublemakers again? Did you happen to miss the 'restricted' sign!?" The irate gravelly voice filled the greenhouse. James and I jolted apart. It came from every corner, I couldn't pinpoint where the Filch man was.

"This way!" James shouted. In another rush of déjà vu, we were running together again, shouts and threats following us in our escape.

"I am really getting sick of this guy." I huffed through my heavy breaths. My legs were turning to jelly beneath me, but I wasn't about to stop.

"You can say that again." James laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair.

Once other guests came into our sights, we finally stilled our legs. There was no sign of the creepy caretaker.

James sent a triumphant grin my way, but all I could manage was a feeble smile back.

What was I doing? This was James Potter in front of me! Ridiculous, arrogant, silly, Marauder, Potter: the bane of my existence. What had just happened in the confines of the greenhouse?

What is wrong with me?

James looked as if he was about to speak, but I interjected first.

"I should really go." The words shot from my lips before I could think. My mind was screaming something inaudible anyway.

The glimmer in James' hazel eyes dimmed a bit. His grin vanished and a serious mask replaced it.

"Oh," was all he said. Why couldn't he say something else? James excelled at making situations lighter, turning tension to laughter. Why was he leaving the thick air between us?

"Yeah," the situation had flipped to awkward in just moments. James shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

There was nothing else left to be said. I made to turn away, but his hand caught my shoulder.

He stayed silent, but he held out something small and beautiful in his hand.

It was one of the lilies from the greenhouse.

I could have collapsed right in front of him, sobs racking my throat. I was shaking so violently. The small flower transferred from his grip to mine with no brush of heated skin, James wrenched his hand away.

"Thank you," my voice came out weak, broken.

How had this happened?

"You're welcome." His reply rumbled deep, husky. I imagined that I could feel it vibrate in the floor beneath me.

James' eyes did not leave me as I backed away from him, like I always did.

He suddenly looked so alone, even as people moved all about him.

I whirled away, tripping down the hallway that would take me to my own hotel room, cursing the tears that threatened to spill over.


	8. Chapter 8

"Lily, wake up." His deep voice echoed in my ears. I didn't want to wake up. I just wanted to stay with him.

"It's time to wake up." I could almost feel his fingers running through my hair.

"Damn it, Lily! Get up!"

I jolted awake, the sun coming through the windows too bright for my still sleepy eyes.

"Petunia?" My sister stood above me, her suitcase on the other side of the bed overflowing with clothes. "You're…packing?"

Our vacation was not even close to over. We hadn't even been up at the lodge for a week yet. We still had days.

"Yeah, so get up." Petunia snapped. She was always so cheery in the morning.

"But, why are we leaving?"

My sister rolled her eyes as she threw more of her clothes into her suitcase. "Dad got called from work. He's to go back to the office. We need to leave within the hour." She mimicked Dad's voice as she finished her explanation, zipping her suitcase with a hint of sass.

I lifted my hand to rub the sleep out of my eyes, and my right eye got pricked by something. Blinking at the small thing lying in my palm, I could feel my nerves shake again at the small, white, slightly crinkled lily. My lungs constricted at the sight. The previous night rushed back through my head: the garden, how close he'd been to me, how close we'd been to-

I cut off the thought, shutting my eyes against the sun again.

Maybe the expansion in my chest would just go away. Now we were leaving our vacation. I could leave behind this whole week. I could leave behind everything that happened with James Potter here at this lodge. I could forget it all.

There was only one problem with that solution.

I didn't want to forget.

My stomach was already burning only with the thought about everything that had happened between James and me. I couldn't imagine leaving that feeling behind.

Outside, everything looked the same: the sun rays reflecting off the snow, the mountains emerging from the ground, and the skiers gliding down the hill.

All of those people went around as if nothing had changed. But _everything_ had changed.

I clutched the flower closer to my chest, hoping it would calm my fluttering bird of a heart. If anything, it just made it speed up even more.

My skin tingled all over, causing me to shiver.

It couldn't be-

_I_ couldn't be-

This stuff only happened in story books! Not reality. This wasn't real. That kind of stuff can't happen in just a few days. Nobody wakes up one day and find themselves in-

The picture of the two of us in the greenhouse suddenly popped up in my mind. James and I; we'd been as close as two people can get without touching. My heart sped up another few paces, even as I sat here the next morning.

"Good! You're awake! Hurry and get packed sweetheart." My mother hustled into the room, collecting our belongings that were strewn around the room.

I couldn't tear my eyes from the window.

How could all those skiers and my mother simply carry on normally when my heart was threatening to pound right out of my chest? I couldn't seriously be-

Or I could.

The words wouldn't come to my lips, but the army of butterflies in my stomach spoke for me. Too bad their voices weren't out loud.

"Come on, sweetheart. We need to leave now." Mum held up my ready packed suitcase.

I needed to speak to James, even just see him. But…that could wait till school started, right?

As I followed my mother, I was sure that I could wait until the first day of school. It really wasn't that far away if I thought about it. Only a few more weeks, and I would see him again. I could wait.

My dad stood through the doors of the lobby, packing the car tightly, looking frazzled. He always looked like that over work. Petunia was already in the car, tuning the radio.

I would leave without saying good-bye if I walked through these doors now. I couldn't let my exit last night be the last thing he saw of me before school started. Especially with this…revelation of mine this morning.

"I have to find him." I could barely hear my own voice.

"What, Lily?"

Without even really thinking, I pulled away from my mother's guiding hand. She called after me, but I didn't answer. I sprinted right up to the front desk, disregarding those waiting in line.

"Which room are the Potters staying in?"

The lady behind the desk looked down her pointed nose at me, reminding me faintly of the librarian at Hogwarts, Madame Pince.

"You'll have to wait a moment miss. I'm afraid these people have been waiting longer than you have." The politeness was exaggerated in her tone.

"Please. I just need to know their room number."

The lady clucked her tongue at me, holding my gaze for a minute as if she was hoping I would back down. Her face contorted into a glare, but she searched through her papers, even if it was just to get rid of me.

"They are in room 267."

"Thank you!" I shouted over my shoulder. It was as if I were being chased by the Filch-like man again with how quickly I flew down the hallway and up flights of stairs.

The golden numbers 267 caught my eye and I skidded to a stop.

Not sparing a moment's hesitation, I found myself knocking incessantly on the door. The door between James and me.

I told myself I was only here to say good-bye. But those words, even though I couldn't say them to myself, were threatening to leap from my throat like a hiccup.

There was only silence behind the door. I rapped on the door again, a little louder this time.

My mind painted the image of him on the other side of the door, peaking through the peephole.

But there was no answer.

I knocked again, refusing to believe he wasn't here. That I'd missed him. My knuckles had cracked open from all of my knocking and I was losing my staring contest with the white painted door.

"Lily! There you are!" I heard my father's voice, but I kept my eyes on the wood.

"Come on honey, you put your mother in quite the panic down there." My dad looked between my cracked knuckles and the door, not sure what to make of the situation.

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly.

I nodded, though that was completely false. James was gone. The words that made my nerves shake were now burning the back of my throat.

With my mind in a haze, I let my dad lead me back to the lobby. A dirty look was sent my way from the lady behind the counter, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I tried to comfort myself. I would see James at school.

But I didn't think these feelings could wait that long.

My dad patted my shoulder lightly as I buckled my seatbelt. I could hear my mother whispering frantically to him, my name popping out of her lips many times.

I felt numb as my dad started the car, pulling away from the lodge. In only a few days, that lodge had begun to mean more to me than it ever had before.

It felt as if I was in a dream. I just needed to wake up. My heart was fluttering against my chest, how could my family not hear it? I went to lay a hand over it to try and stifle it slightly, but something was missing from my fingers.

"My flower," I hadn't even realized I'd said anything until Petunia looked at me oddly.

Frantically, my eye searched every inch of the car around me as my hands searched my pockets.

"Did you forget something?" My sister asked, genuinely seeming worried for once.

"My flower," I choked, my lungs constricting.

Tears were pricking my eyes again. First I'd missed James, now my flower from him was gone. Was this a punishment of some sort?

"What flower, Lily?" My mother asked, twisting in her seat.

"We have to go back." I sounded crazy. But I needed to find it. I needed that flower.

"We can't just turn-"

"We have to go back!" I breathed again, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

My mother reached back to pat my knee. "We'll have the hotel deliver it to us, alright?"

I could see my dad's gaze in the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed in concern as he took in my state. Without giving any explanation, he turned around, speeding back towards the lodge. He ignored my mother's comments about his work, and only winked at me. I could have hugged him.

There was a long line of cars leading into the lodge, holding us back quite a ways. My patience snapped. I thrust the car door open and my feet hit the pavement running. My family shouted after me as I weaved through the cars, but I didn't turn around.

When I burst into the lobby, my eyes immediately searched the carpet for the small white petals. There were so many pairs of feet, I feared that my flower was already in pieces. I pushed through families and tripped over suitcases, my eyes scouring the place.

The lobby seemed a bust. The last place I'd been was in front of James' door. I went to turn that way when I spotted it. The small, ruffled bloom lay right in front of the stairs. Relief spread through my veins as I pushed towards it, but my relief soon switched to horror when I saw fingers fold around my small flower.

"No!" I protested tripping forward to close the distance. My shouts died on my lips however, and I froze on the spot with those hazel eyes on me. The ones that I'd supposedly missed.

James stood up from his knees, clutching the flower in his hand much like I had this morning. My mind went into a buzz, my heat hammering against my ribs. He stood here in front of me, but my throat closed, now blocking those words.

I needed to tell him that I-

He tilted his head to the side, sending me a small smile. Without a word, he held the flower out to me, brining me back to last night. It was as if the universe was giving me a chance to redo the night before.

My hand reached out to the flower, but I didn't take it from him. Our skin brushed as I let my fingers wrap around the flower, weaving together with his fingers. His eyes darkened noticeably.

"You forgot something." James' voice sent my blood speeding through my veins, causing shivers to travel down my spine.

No words came, as my throat was still closed up, but that wasn't a problem. I barely needed to lean forward to bring our lips together. James did not even hesitate to respond, his free hand going to hold my waist.

We probably looked like two fools in the middle of that lobby, holding on to each other tightly as people tried to get past us. But I didn't care. He was here.

It was amazing to me how in just a few days, almost six years could be blown out of the water as if they'd never happened, but that's exactly how it felt to be pressed right up against James as he angled his head to deepen the kiss.

He gave a few more short kisses only to pull away and land one on my cheek, my forehead.

"Hang on," I mumbled against his lips, pushing him arm's length away for a moment. Everything inside me was screaming so loud, I could barely hear myself think. "James, I have to say something."

He smiled, disregarding my arms and pulling me against him again. If I couldn't think straight being around him before, having every inch of him brush against every inch of me was no help at all.

"James," I began, his name sounding wonderful on my tongue. I was trembling in his arms. "I think I'm…I think that I'm in…in lo-"

But James didn't let me finish. Very gently, he kissed me again. My arms wrapped around his neck, weaving into his hair as I pulled him closer, our lips moving together again in a much different way than before.

He knew what I was saying, and he was answering in the affirmative on his part as well. It was not the right time for those three words, however strong they burned in both James and I. I may not be able to say them out loud, especially with those hazel eyes smoldering in my direction, causing me to trip over my own feet, stutter over my words and make my mind go dizzy, but my head is finally allowing the words to spill out in my thoughts.

I was in love with James Potter.

For now, it was enough to know that I had him and he had me. Even if we didn't say the words out loud, the words weren't hidden. They hung between us, filled glances and kisses and exploded whenever skin brushed skin. For now, it was enough to know the words. Sometimes that's even better than saying them out loud.

It seems entirely impossible, but it can only take the blink of an eye, or simply waking up one morning for emotions to change.


End file.
